


Bicycle Tires

by meixxu



Category: Aespa (Band), NCT (Band), SR20G
Genre: Cute, Cute Ending, F/M, Fluff, Meet-Cute, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Trainee, Young Love, predebut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25838782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meixxu/pseuds/meixxu
Summary: It was just a harmless crush, but Ningning finds herself sad just missing the presence of Huang Renjun.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Ning Yi Zhuo
Kudos: 7





	Bicycle Tires

**Author's Note:**

> Yep. And yet another old work I'm reposting on Ao3. Hahaha. I really wish SR20G would debut, Ningning and Hina are the only ones left :( SM, don't waste their potential!!

Ningning's POV

There's a boy that I like.

His hair is black. I like how he combs it and makes it looks neat. I like a boy who cares about the way he looks. I like a boy who's composed, behaved and elegant. Why? Because I need someone who complements me, the crazy girl, the humorous one not many boys like to date, but many girls like to be around with.

He has a very handsome face. Bless his parents for creating him one night, without you both, I wouldn't have seen his beauty. He's got the type of face you'd love to see over and over again until you got sick of it. Though he's not like Jeno or Taeyong oppa who are visual gods, but his visual to me is just right. Not too handsome that other girls fawn over him, and not too bad looking that other girls would hate him.

He's obsessed with a cartoon called Moomin and likes to draw it whenever I draw with him. We draw together a lot. He would draw Moomin in any kind of variation, whether Moomin would be wearing a uniform or pajamas, he'd be drawing it. While I would draw him while he was happily sketching Moomin and showing it to me, because his happiness was all I needed to capture. So that I could remember that there was a period where he smiled at me like that, and a period where we were young and happy and didn't have to worry about anything. Because what if, one day, we grew up and left it all behind?

His name is Huang Renjun.

We first met when we were both scolded by the instructor and both decided to stay at the practice room to practice some more together. It was awkward at first. It was my first time being alone with a boy. I remember how he was wearing a blue hoodie and some sweatpants, and that was the first time we even had a proper conversation. I knew him as that cute Chinese trainee that was already good at Korean and he knew me as that crazy Chinese girl who once joined a competition and got scouted. We weren't friendly. I tried to crack some jokes at him, he didn't laugh.

"Hey, Renjun."

"Yeah?"

"Wanna know why the bicycle couldn't stand by itself? It's because it was TWO-TIRED! HAH!" I even slapped my knee to add comic relief, he had no response. ".. my bicycle has three tires," he eventually replied.

"O-oh, hahaha.. why's that?"

"There's a basket in the back. I put my backpack there, y'know, whenever I cycle here to SM.."

"Oh, interesting..," I trailed off. Awkward silence. He didn't seem to mind and started humming, but I felt like I was going to die in there. The whole practice we didn't exchange any more words and just danced. It wasn't comforting. Ever since that day, I vowed, I wouldn't practice with Huang Renjun ever again.

But Yiyang was quite surprised to hear my decision. "What? You don't like Renjun?" she asked me. "No, he doesn't take my jokes well and he's really stiff. I think we're better off not being familiar with each other," I told her. Yiyang chuckled and gave me a pat on the back as we walked home together.

"It's because he's a little awkward with people he just met. Give him time, he'll warm up to you."

"Why? Are you two close?" I asked her.

"Yeah. He's a pretty funny kid. Ain't as corny as you are, but don't worry, your corniness is what I like about you." she winked at me. Renjun? Funny? I remember thinking that at the time and scoffing. "Why are you scoffing? Seriously, it's time you start opening up to the male trainees and don't just talk to the girls," said Yiyang.

"But they're annoying! Yukhei keeps calling me 'man' or 'bro' like, do I look like a man to him?"

"You know he's obsessed with his Kim Sohyun."

"Yeah! So what! She won't ever notice him anyway! And Winwin is decent I guess, but I hate it when he buys ice cream but never buys some for me. And Kun too, he's whipped for Winwin, he doesn't notice my existence sometimes. I don't know, and Renjun is just the worst of them all! He's boring!" I felt myself ranting. But Yiyang didn't get mad at me at all and just smiled.

"Maybe if you look deeper you'll see something much more endearing about all of them. Renjun included," she said. She took out her phone as her ringtone for messages rang. And I saw her face form a grin. "Why? Who texted you?" I asked.

"It was Renjun."

"Oh god, that guy?" I groaned. But then she gave her phone to me and let me read Renjun's message. And I realized then: huh, maybe Renjun wasn't so bad after all.

"Jiejie, what do you call a bicycle who can't stand by itself? A two-tired one. : ) Good night -from Renjun"

The next morning I woke up and instantly started hanging out more with Renjun. At first he looked at me weird and asked me why I was suddenly so nice to him, but then I said: "Oh Renjun, what do you mean? I always have been nice to you!" and he just raised his eyebrows in an unimpressed way and then placed his backpack on the basket of his 3 tired bicycle. I ended up riding his bicycle with him that day. 

I remember being embarrassed that I had to hold him by the waist after getting on, but when he started to cycle, I could feel the wind blowing against my face. It was cold. Of course it was. But it was refreshing. I eased up and laid my head on Renjun's shoulder as I watched the surrounding pass by. I could see the cherry blossoms fly down to the ground as me and Renjun rode by them. It was the most beautiful thing I'd seen in a while. And I found myself wishing that Renjun felt the same way as me about those cherry blossoms too.

Little by little, his shell around himself started to break. He started to joke around me and actually laughed at my jokes. He even asked me out on a "date but sort of not a date". We went out for milkshakes. It was then I started having a crush on him. The way he smoothly ran his pencil across his paper. It made you think he was drawing something complicated, something difficult, but in reality, it was just Moomin. And somehow, it made you feel happier. You expect something deep but then you get something simple. Doesn't the feeling of being taken aback feel quite funny sometimes? He would tell me about his life back in his hometown and I would find myself sympathizing with him. Being away from home is not a nice feeling. You end up feeling like eating your mom's cooking again, and even though you find food that technically tastes much better than what your mom cooks, still, it's the taste of home that will always win you over. I knew how he felt, but I felt bad that I couldn't take him home. I would've loved to see him in his happiest state.

One day I was on the SM rooftop wondering: "Will I ever debut? What if I spent all these years away from my family for nothing? What would I say?" and before I could try to answer those questions for myself, Renjun appeared.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked me, leaning on the railing too as he looked at the sunset nearby. It was getting late. I blushed as I realized he looked prettier with the sunset shining on him, but I just shook those thoughts away. "It's nothing. Just some debut stuff," I said.

"Debut, huh.. it seems so far away for you, doesn't it? But one day, it could end up coming as soon as tomorrow..," Renjun trailed off. I looked at him, puzzled. He's never said anything like that before. "What do you mean, Renjun?"

He looked at me and flashed the brightest smile I've seen from him for the whole time I've known him. "I'm debuting, Ningning-ah." he held my hand, tightly. I gasped and grabbed his other hand, jumping up and down in delight. "OH MY GOSH, RENJUN, THAT'S GREAT!" I said happily.

"I know! I'm supposed to debut in NCT Dream, and it's going to be filled with the youngest members! Pretty cool, right?!"

"Pretty cool?! It's REALLY cool! All your hard work is finally paying off!" I told him. I was about to say something else until I felt Renjun pulling me into an embrace. It was quick, and unexpected. I felt my heart stop beating for about 2 seconds, and then it started to race faster than a horse on a relay once I realized I was in Huang Renjun's arms, THE HUANG RENJUN'S ARMS, my one and only crush my entire life, and he was caressing my hair and holding me by the waist. Was this a dream? If it was, I would've never wanted to wake up.

"It's all thanks to you, Yizhuo," he said.

"R-Renjun? What did I do?" I slowly put my arms around him as well. I felt him sigh against my shoulders and nearly went crazy. "Y-yah, don't do that!" I muttered, but he didn't seem to hear me.

"It's all thanks to your support that I can debut now.." he finally let me go, holding me by the shoulders this time. "That bicycle tire joke started it all."

Somehow, a wave of realization hit me at that moment. Once Renjun debuts, he'll be gone for quite a while. I wouldn't be able to draw with him as much as I could before anymore. I wouldn't be able to talk to him as much as I could before anymore. I wouldn't be able to see him as much as I could before anymore. A debut is good, but.. why do I feel like I'll be missing him for a long, long while..

I felt like kissing him that time.

But I didn't.

Because we're minors.

And then, he debuted. He went on music shows, variety shows, interviews.. and little by little, he rose on a higher platform, while I remained at the very bottom, watching him alone as he reached his dream.

And I was still here wishing for it.

He sold his 3 tire bicycle after debuting and now he had a 2 tire one. But it didn't feel right. Renjun should always have 3 tires. That way, I'll remember the day we first talked and became friends. That way he won't ever forget it too. That way he'll remember me. But he sold it. A 3 tire for a 2 tire.

Why did you do that, Huang Renjun?

We lost contact more and more. The more comebacks he had, the busier he got. Sometimes he would enter the building and walk right past me, not even sparing a glance. And it makes me afraid. That I'm the only one stuck here in our memories and I will never be able to grow out of them. But Renjun.. have you already gotten over them all?

In the end, I was the one who bought a 3 tire bicycle for myself.

And it was assembled, but there was only one thing missing.

Renjun to drive it so I could once again lean my head on his shoulder as I watch the cherry blossoms fly by.

Today is a Saturday morning, and I'm once again riding it with the thought of Renjun in my mind. I can't be like this. I have to get over him. He was just a childish crush, yet why can't I seem to get him out of my head..

I was so up in my thoughts that I didn't realize one of my tires went flat until my bike suddenly fell down with me still on it. "Kya!" I squealed as I fell down on my right side, luckily with a helmet on. My backpack tumbled out of the basket and I had a small wound on my knee that had started to feel painful. I rolled up my pants and sighed as I saw the result of my carelessness. That's what I get for thinking about Renjun all the time.. I guess.

Why do I even like him so much?

I forgot about that for a while. And these days everytime I ask myself why, I think, well there was a reason.. but does it still matter by now?

Does it still matter when he doesn't even look at me? Does it still matter when he has forgotten all our history? Does it still matter when all the memories of us now are painful and not lovely?

I'm exaggerating.

He was just a crush anyway.

A few tears had formed in my eyes once I kept thinking about Renjun. I miss him. He's here, but it's like he's not here. That's what's most painful. It won't even matter to me if he doesn't reciprocate my feelings, all I'd like back is our friendship. Instead of just passing by each other like this acting like we don't know each other when we do. I wish the image of me and Renjun together wouldn't stay in the past as a childhood memory and we'd never have to grow out of it. I wish we'd be young forever. I wish we wouldn't grow up and forget. I wish..

I wish I had another tire. "Dang it! Why can't my bike stand up?!" I whined as I tried to make my bike stand by itself, but it was useless with one flat tire. And my wound was really starting to feel sore. It was humiliating as there were tears coming out of my eyes as well. A few people were around and were staring at me, and I was so embarrassed. I needed to hurry up and get out.

"Ugh, c'mon, I'm going to be late! Stand up!"

"Wanna know why your bike can't stand up?"

I froze at the sound of the voice that suddenly made a sound behind me.

That voice. That soft voice that would call me Yizhuo and make my heart go crazy. That soft voice that would sing and bring music to my ears. That soft voice that brings me to sleep when he calls me in the middle of the night sometimes.

It was Renjun.

"Because it's two tired." he gave me a goofy grin, walking closer to me and knelt down as he frowned at the sight of my wound. I backed away and tried to avoid eye contact with him as I felt my face become hotter. Out of all times he'd start talking to me again, it had to be in his state. "So why did you have to go and be clumsy.. look at you now, you're hurt."

"It's because you weren't there to drive the bike for me," I blurted out. Renjun looked at me, perplexed. "What do you mean?" he asked. I clenched my fists as I ended up holding my bike up myself. "Why did you sell your 3 tire bike?" I asked.

"I needed the money." But apparently you didn't need our memories?

"No, never mind that question. Why did you ignore me everytime you saw me?" I said. "You could've atleast said a little hi, but no. You wouldn't even spare a glance, you'd act like I wasn't there. And you wanna be friendly all of a sudden? Am I some kind of joke to you?"

The smile on Renjun's face disappeared. "Yizhuo, why are you so upset? I was distracted because of all the schedules, really. Sorry if I upset you, but I couldn't help it.."

"Couldn't help it, huh?" I huffed. "If you want to grow up and put away the childish me from your life, cool. No one is stopping you, you can't help it anyway." I turned around, dragging my bike with me.

"No, wait, Yizhuo, stop-"

"Ah!" I groaned, my wound starting to become more sore than ever. I could hear Renjun sigh behind me as he jogged up next to me and grabbed my bike. "Go sit on that bench, I have some first aid with me." he pointed to a nearby bench and laid the bike there. Quietly, I obeyed and sat down. I didn't want to get an infection anyway.

Renjun pulled out a first aid kit from his backpack and started to dress my wound. I can't help but stare at his hair as he did it. His hair was currently back to black after all of Dream's promotions, and I can't help but think back to the time we first talked. His hair was black then, and now that we talk again his hair is black now. I wonder if the hair dye made him lose his memory of me or something. "Ouch," I mumble as he pressed a cotton against my wound.

"Sorry. It'll be ok," he reassured me. I watched as he then finished up treating it and then put a bandaid over it. "You should head to NCT's practice room tomorrow. I'll treat your wound for you again," he said.

"You want me to go to your practice room? Are you crazy? I could be disturbing you guys.."

"I'll just be practicing by myself, so don't worry. We'll be alone," Renjun said casually, putting his bandaid back in his backpack. I can't help but heat up at how casually he said that. He doesn't know how dangerous it is for me to be alone with him. I could end up doing something I regret. "Renjun, why are you so nice to me?" I asked him.

"Because you're my friend."

"You really should stop being nice to me."

He looked at me again.

"I could take it the wrong way," I told him. He said nothing and just zipped his bag closed. But I don't want to like him anymore. I should be focusing on practicing, but how can I do it with only Renjun in my mind?

Finally, after a minute of silence between us, Renjun spoke again.

"Do you wanna know how a pump connects to a flat tire?" he asked. He's gonna tell me a joke, isn't he? "How does this one go? Will you guarantee I'll die of laughter?" I snorted, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"It connects like this."

And then he put his lips on mine.

But we're minors.

I couldn't respond in shock and felt my face becoming a tomato as he removed his lips, grinning at me. "C'mon now, we have to fix your flat tire so your bike won't be 2 tired anymore!" he skipped to my bike, shyly walking away while dragging it with him.

All that because of a bicycle tire.


End file.
